A year in review: closing 2024 and welcoming 2025
It’s the start of another year and I still cannot believe it’s 2025 (2000 was only 10 years ago, right??). I keep seeing ‘lookbacks at 2024’ reels posted on social media, and while I don’t have a fun video, it feels right somehow to reflect here on the past year and voice some aspirations for this year as well. It’s a quiet Saturday after a short week back to work, where, after a nice lie-in reading in bed, I’ve just been puttering around the house catching up on laundry and tidying. I’ve also gotten some LISHKA-y publishing things taken care of and successfully avoided the rest of my to-do list. We had a bright sunny morning, and the sky is now partially overcast, the low light filtering through the bare trees casting long shadows on the lawn. All I need is some tea to sigh and reflect over.
Looking Back
2024 was a big one for me, full of changes and some incredibly tough, emotional moments. I had some major life experiences, making it a roller coaster of a year.
We moved across the country.
This is by far the biggest change. My little family (my husband Chris and our creamsicle cat Paul) started the year with a big cross-country move from my beloved home in Washington State to the dense forests in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This was hard, for many reasons. Stress of physically moving aside, I left behind my family, friends, and a place I resonate with deeply. I’ve had to let go of what I thought my life would be, and instead embrace an adventure without expectations, which is simultaneously scary and thrilling.
My job had some significant changes and challenges.
I had probably the most intense year yet in my day job as a Senior Project Manager for a digital marketing company. This year was rife with challenges and obstacles, and many times I felt burned out. However, with challenge comes growth and this year also helped guide me in figuring out the type of professional I want to be, both for my team and for myself.
I had some big adventures!
Chris and I flew back to Washington to pick up his BMW motorcycle, which we then rode from Washington to North Carolina. We saw bison in Yellowstone and so many prairie dogs (my favorite), we stood at the base of the Devil’s Tower (Chris kept humming the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and we had the privilege of watching two Native American dancers perform at the base of Mount Rushmore. We sweltered for much of the way and stayed cool by taking frequent breaks to douse ourselves in ice water, which gave us maybe 30 minutes of reprieve. The Badlands were probably the hottest part of the trip, but the smoke choking Idaho from Canadian wildfires made the heat utterly intolerable. We got trapped by heavy rain in a cabin outside of the Grand Tetons, then caught in a big thunder and lightening storm riding through Indiana (at night, no less). It was one of our best trips yet, and every day I woke up excited to get back on the road.
I became a published author.
I lived a dream I’ve had my entire life when I published LISHKA in August, wrapping up almost two decades worth of work on this novel. I talk about this a lot in my updates, but this is a huge personal achievement, making 2024 a big year for me.
Life had some heartbreak.
I learned of some unexpected health issues in my family and travelled home several times to be with them. Then our new home in North Carolina was hit by Hurricane Helene, and while we escaped relatively unscathed, many of the surrounding areas and mountain towns will take years to recover, if they are able to recover at all.
We made some big decisions.
At the end of 2024, my husband and I made some decisions about our future that hopefully will mean an exciting 2025.
Looking Ahead
2025 will no doubt continue to be a year of change and growth. In thinking about where and who I want to be at the end of the year, and what I want this year to look like, a few goals come to mind.
Finish editing my second novel. Not publish it, just wrap up the manuscript. This might be a stretch goal, as rounds of editing can take time, so a more realistic goal may be to get through the first wave of professional edits. I would love to publish this novel in 2026.
To help with the above, I want to write a little bit every day. I need to be more disciplined, and when I’m consistent with writing, I have more energy and enthusiasm for writing (I enjoy it more!). Even if it’s editing a single sentence, I will sit down and move words around every day.
Become financially literate. I want to understand the steps to take toward setting myself up for retirement, and I want to be actively taking those steps. Aka learn how much I should be contributing to my 401K, how to manage my IRA, etc. I also want to start learning more about other forms of investment.
Get more exercise and get on top of my health. I have been woefully negligent of my body for the past few years. I want to commit to being more active, even if it’s just a short neighborhood walk once a day. I also need to establish a primary care doctor here in NC, and get on track with the right checkups to ensure I am healthy and aware of any issues.
Let go that which I cannot control. This is big for me, personally and especially professionally. I want to focus my energy on the things I can control, and not worry about the things outside of my control (this mantra comes from my manager, who has been one of the most positive influences on me as a human being).
Right now, I’m excited about this upcoming year. I’m sure there will be unexpected challenges, surprises, and it will be interesting to read this at the end of the year to see what changed. For now, I better go make sure I’m honoring my first, and second, goals above and get to work!
